Souvenirs
by InosBane
Summary: DA Secret Santa for Tessin-in-the-Sand.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** This is a DA Secret Santa gift for **Tessen-in-the-Sand**. This was actually quite difficult for me, and I apologize if it's not quite what you had in mind. Still, know that I really tried hard and hope you like it and have/had a great holiday!

**Disclaimer:** I'm not Masashi Kishimoto. Trust me on that one.

**Chapter 1**

"Good for one all expense paid weekend at Kimochi Hot Spring Ryokan," Temari read the certificate a second, then a third time before meeting her youngest brother's ice green eyes.

"For Sunagakure's hardest working kunoichi!" Came the cheery voice of Kankurou to her left.

"Don't you like it?" Gaara asked taking note of her expression.

Temari quickly masked her confusion with a smile."It's great," she lied. "I'm just a little hurt that you want to get rid of me so soon after I've finally gotten home."

The redhead grinned widely, "with all the work you put in on the Chunnin Exams, Kankurou and I decided that you deserved a nice vacation. We checked with some of the local kunoichis to find out what an ideal vacation would be, and they all said a stay at a ryokan. I had Kankurou check around for the best one, and this is the one we found."

Gaara was obviously pleased with himself, so Temari decided to be a good sport about it. What she'd really like to do is spend a few days resting in her room between training sessions, but she kept that to herself.

"Well thanks guys," she said. "I'll check my schedule and set aside some time to go."

Kankuro grinned.

"Oh no," the Puppet-Nin piped up. "It's only good for this weekend. We did that so you would have to go, not just say you would and then forget about it."

"That's right," Gaara nodded. "Think of it as a forced vacation, a mission if you need to, but you're going and you're going to have a good time. Trust us."

"And make sure you bring us back some nice souvenirs," Kankurou said leading his sister to the Kazakage's office door. "Now hurry and go pack, you leave in the morning."

The door closed on a speechless Temari. Since when had her brothers become so cheeky? Well, Kankurou had always been obnoxious, but Gaara? She shook her head and walked towards her room, there was nothing left to do but pack.

**o-o-o**

"Good for one all expense paid weekend at Kimochi Hot Spring Ryokan," Shikamaru read aloud. "Lady Tsunade," he frowned, "you realize that Cha no Kuni is a three day journey?"

When the Hokage nodded he continued, "well," the Shadow-Nin sighed, "three days to get there, two and a half days there, three days back. That's quite a bit of travel time. Wouldn't it be less troublesome to just give me a week off?"

One more time Tsunade marveled at the young Nara's laziness.

"Why don't you just learn to say 'thank you' when someone rewards you for a job well done? Now," she continued eyes blazing at the apparent lack of gratitude. "I suggest you go pack. The certificate's good for this weekend only, and I order you to have a good time."

When the Chunnin made no move other than to smother a yawn, Tsunade pounded on her desk for emphasis causing it to split in two. Shikamaru chose that moment to disappear, so that when the dust cleared the Hokage had no one to take her anger out on. The Shadow-Nin felt a tad guilty watching Shizune rush towards certain doom, but figured the sooner he left the building the better.

He waited until he was on the street before muttering "troublesome woman."

"I heard that," Ino smirked. She and Chouji had been waiting for Shikamaru so they could have lunch together. "What are you complaining about now Shikamaru?" She asked snatching the scroll out of his hand. "Oh my GOD!" She shrieked stopping dead in the center of the street, "do you _**know**_ what this is?"

"Yeah," Shikamaru grunted. "A lot more trouble than it's worth."

The blonde wrapped the scroll back up and smacked her friend in the head."No baka, the Kimochi Ryokan is one of the top rated ryokans around. People save up years for the chance to stay a night there, and you get an entire weekend? The Hokage just _**gave it to you**? _Wow Shikamaru, I hope you got on your hands and knees and kissed her feet in thanks."

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow as his friend continued on about everything she'd ever read about this particular ryokan. He and Chouji shot looks at each other while Ino went on and on. After about ten minutes, Shikamaru raised a hand to stop the monologue.

"So it's that good eh? Alright, I'll make the best of it I guess. Listen, since I'm leaving in the morning I'll just go home and pack. You two enjoy lunch without me."

Ino huffed and put her hands on her hips, but it was Chouji who called out, "have fun! Don't forget to bring us a souvenir!"


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** For this story I did **A LOT** of research into Japanese Hot Springs, a ryokan is a type of hotel attached to a Hot Spring, the onsen is the actual Hot Spring itself. The ryokans can be fairly expensive to stay at (think $200+ a night American), but from what I've read, it's a worthwhile expense. Many Hot Spring areas have public baths, and sometimes ryokans allow the public to use their baths _**for a fee**_ but only during the day, whereas guests of the ryokan have unlimited use of the onsens. Now you can say you've learned something too!

**Disclaimer: **Again I state most vehemently, that I am not Masashi Kishimoto, and my bank account proves it.

**Chapter 2**

Temari rang the bell for the second time and tapped her foot impatiently. Even with all the traveling she'd done, she still wasn't used to such cold weather. One more time she chided herself for not getting a thicker jacket, suddenly the idea of immersing her body in hot water became incredibly appealing.

"Konnichiwa!" A large woman with a friendly smile appeared from behind a yellow curtain. "Welcome to Kimochi Ryokan," the woman bowed. "My name is Nishizawa Mieko, I'm the innkeeper how may I help you?"

"My name is Sabaku no Temari, I have a gift certificate for this weekend," the blonde stated holding out the scroll.

The innkeeper pulled on a pair of glasses and examined the paper.

"Ah yes, Sabaku-san, we have your room all prepared. It has a lovely view of the mountains, though not as good as the view from our mixed onsen." The woman smiled conspiratorially, "of course, a lady of your rank would probably prefer to maintain her modesty, and stay in the women's onsen. Still, this is our off season, we've only got five other guests here this weekend, so maybe you'll get a chance."

Temari nodded smiling, she didn't feel the need to explain that she'd never really been one for modesty. So she silently followed the innkeeper to her room and listened as she rattled off the ryokan's schedule.

"I hope you won't be shy and will join us for dinner, it's sure to be a treat after your travels. I'll send a girl right over with some of our special jasmine tea that we make with flowers grown right here on our property."

Temari thanked the woman and closed the door. Turning to check out her room, she smiled. It was large, with floor to ceiling windows, and simply furnished. The chairs were identical to her room in Konoha, and that brought on a flood of memories that she wasn't quite sure how to deal with yet. Now that the Chunnin Exams were over, it would be months before she had any reason to return to the Leaf Village, and even then, there was no guarantee that she'd see had been ages since she'd battled Nara Shikamaru in their own Chunnin Exam, and they'd come a long way since then. From enemies to allies, to…friends? Temari wasn't quite sure what they were, but ever since Uzumaki Naruto had asked if they were on a date, she'd begun to wonder if that wasn't a thought worth considering. He _was_ smart, capable, a decent shinobi, and if she was really honest with herself…yeah okay, handsome too…

"Just so damn lazy, and with that whole man-woman thing…_and_ he's three years younger," she grumbled. "But then so's Gaara, and _he's_ a Kazekage."She threw herself into a chair, staring out the window at the mountains. The innkeeper was right, the view really was spectacular. Temari began to wonder just how much better the view was from the mixed onsen. Knowing from the schedule that dinner wouldn't be served for another three hours, she got back up again to change into the yukata to go to the bath. There was a knock at the door and the smell of jasmine suddenly permeated the room.

"Sabaku-san," a voice called. "Your tea and cookies are here on the table. Please let us know if you require anything else."

When she heard the door slide shut, Temari darted out from behind a screen half-dressed and grabbed a cookie. She closed her eyes as she munched, simply based on this cookie, her brothers were going to get some outstanding souvenirs.

**o-o-o**

Temari was the last to arrive in the dining room that evening. Her skin was glowing, and her eyes were still a bit heavy from the nap she'd taken after bathing. That's why she didn't trust them at first when she walked in, but who else would wear a Chunnin vest to a hot spring? Was he on some sort of mission? Did Gaara think she needed another escort?

"Sabaku-san, how did you enjoy the onsen this afternoon?"

"It was wonderful Nishizawa-san, thank you," she bowed. "I'm sorry I'm late. I couldn't help but take a nap afterwards."

Temari had to bite her lip from laughing out loud at the expression on Shikamaru's face when she confessed to having taken a nap. She quickly walked over to the last vacant spot putting her next to a good-looking blonde man and across from Shikamaru.

"So then I told my father that he would be a fool if he didn't invest in beans, and as you can see, I was right. My father was so grateful that he paid for a week's stay at this ryokan."

Temari swirled her noodles around on her plate. It had been twenty minutes since the nasally-voiced blonde began talking. Twenty minutes since anyone else had been able to speak. If she hadn't been so relaxed she would have probably done something about it by now. She just hoped she didn't meet up with the guy in the onsen, there might end up being an accident if anyone interrupted her bath.

"Sabaku-san?"

Temari blinked, Nara was talking to her.

"Sabaku-san, I was wondering if you might help me. You see, I have a cousin about your age and was wondering if you would be willing to help me find her a souvenir after dinner?"

Temari's eyes sparkled back to life and a slow grin spread across her face, "only if we can leave right now."

**o-o-o**

Shikamaru had been trying to avoid flying food when Temari entered the dining room. The young woman next to him was from a different country, and was unfamiliar with using chopsticks; he'd felt bad for her until the squid landed on his nose. When he heard the innkeeper call out "Sabaku-san" his head had shot up, which allowed the squid to fly back onto the girl's plate. At first, Nara Shikamaru couldn't believe what he was seeing, but then he heard the voice-haughty with a touch of humor just beneath the surface. Briefly, he wondered if the Fifth had anything to do with this. He'd made the mistake of mentioning Temari's name a few times without the honorific attached, (a mistake Chouji had been more than happy to point out to him) had he slipped up in front of the Hokage? If so, how had Lady Tsunade figured out what he was still trying to understand?

**o-o-o**

"So you're telling me you have absolutely no interest in beans?" Shikamaru teased as the pair walked side by side munching on snacks from a street smirked, "and I'm guessing there's no cousin?"

Shikamaru shrugged, " That old woman next to me smelled like feet and the girl on my right kept flinging her food around, I got hit twice with the squid. I don't think she's used to eating with chopsticks, she mentioned that she was from a different country, some place called Florida."

They walked in comfortable silence for a few minutes when something suddenly struck Temari.

"Why exactly are you here Nara?"

"What do you mean?"

"What I said. Why are you here? Are you on a mission? Please don't tell me Gaara asked that you be my escort here."

Shikamaru snickered, "I highly doubt, with all the talented shinobi Suna has, that Gaara-sama would ask Konoha for a Chunnin to act as your escort here."

Temari shrugged, now that he'd said it aloud, it _did_ sound stupid.

"No mission," he continued. "The Hokage decided that I needed to go somewhere in order to rest, so she sent me here. I offered to just take a week off from duties, but she told me I had to come here, even ordered me to enjoy myself. Troublesome woman,"

Temari giggled at the familiar expression.

"Your turn," he said smothering a yawn. "Though since you were already in the onsen, I'm assuming you're here on vacation as well?"

"Guilty," she replied. "I was ordered to have a good time too, though I'm finding it's one of the easier orders I've ever had to follow. If it's true for me, it should be doubly so for you, relaxing is part of your nature isn't it? Now, unlike you I have souvenirs to buy, so if you want to head back I'll understand."

"Are you kidding?" He gasped, "do you think Ino or my mom would let me live if I went back home without anything for them? Besides, I promised Chouji I'd bring him back some kind of delicacy that can only be found here. Wanna work together?"

"Okay," she nodded. "If you buy for my brothers and Chouji, I'll buy for Ino and your mom."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"C'mon Nara," Temari purred. "Don't you trust me?"

"Uh, sure. Okay," he answered sounding anything but confident.

"C'mon, it'll be fun!"

Shikamaru watched as the normally reserved blonde practically bounced down the street, at one point even stopping to pet a boxful of kittens. He'd heard about how some of the hot springs possessed special powers, but he'd never believed until now.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **Last chapter…I really hope that **Tessen-in-the-Sand** enjoys this. It has literally taken me to the last minute to get this finished, and I'm _still_ making adjustments. I'm sorry if it's not what you were hoping for. If I could've drawn these two worth a darn you would've gotten your gift sooner.

**Disclaimer:**I own chopsticks, not the rights to Naruto.

**Chapter 3**

Shikamaru put the rewrapped gifts in his bag, hoping that Temari wasn't playing some horrible trick on him. They'd split up to get the shopping done quicker. Chouji had been easy, he just went to the local barbeque and asked for a picnic basket full of regional food that traveled well. Gaara and Kankurou had proved to be a bit more troublesome. Temari had mentioned that Gaara was attempting sleep now, so he'd bought him a pair of teddy bear print pajamas…she'd also mentioned the Kazekage's love of the furry toy. For the Puppet-Nin he finally settled on a black hooded shirt that had a smoke design on the sleeves but no cat ears. He had given the purchases to Temari minus the wrapping paper so she would know what they were. She'd seemed pleased. He hoped he'd be able to say the same about hers.

**o-o-o**

It wasn't until much later that evening that Shikamaru finally had the opportunity to visit the onsen. Temari had raved over the view so much that even though it was almost dark he decided to give the mixed bath a try. Luckily, only one other person was there. Unfortunately, it was the old woman who smelled like feet.

"Where's your young lady?" She asked smiling after he'd submerged himself. When he didn't answer right away the old woman laughed softly. "You know I met my late husband at this ryokan. Of course that was when there was only the mixed bath. I'll never forget it, we sat here admiring the view and talking until it was very late. If it hadn't been for the war we would have been married within months, but we had to wait a few years. We came here for our honeymoon. I'll never forget it."

With that, the woman hoisted herself out of the water and left Shikamaru alone with his thoughts.

**o-o-o**

Temari awoke to someone pounding on her door.

"Who's there?"

"It's Shikamaru, open up."

Yawning, she switched on a lamp before opening the door. There stood Shikamaru clad in the ryokan's yukata, his hair out of it's usual ponytail dripping water on the tatami mats.

"Been to the onsen I see," she smiled. "Your hair's down."

"So's yours," he replied taking in the golden halo that framed her face.

"Well, I _was_ sleeping, I know it's early, but I feel so relaxed here." She eyed him curiously, "hey, is something wrong? Do you need something?"

"Uh, yeah. Can I come in?"

Temari stepped aside so the Shadow-Nin could enter. She showed him to the small couch and then sat down beside him, careful that she didn't show off too much skin in the process.

"Do you want some tea? How'd you enjoy the bath? Did you get to see the view?"

"No tea thanks, but yeah, the view was nice."

"Nice? You're kidding right? That view was incredible."

Shikamaru shrugged, "I've seen better."

"Really?" Temari raised an eyebrow, "I don't think I've ever seen anything as beautiful."

"I have," he whispered and leaned forward capturing her lips in a soft kiss. When she didn't fight he deepened it, slipping his tongue between her lips. Her mouth was warm, and her arms wrapped around his neck pulling him closer. When they finally pulled apart they sat for awhile staring at each other.

"What now?" Temari asked quietly, "where do we go from here?"

"Well," Shikamaru grinned lazily kissing her hand. "We both go home in a few days with a promise to see eachother as soon as possible, and Naruto gets a souvenir that will make him very happy."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, the next time you come to Konoha, if he asks us if we're on a date we can say yes, and he can spread some serious gossip."

Temari slapped him playfully on the shoulder, "assuming quite a bit aren't you Nara?"

"Prove me wrong, troublesome woman," he teased leaning in for another kiss.

**o-o-o**

"Thanks for the pajamas Temari, they're great!" Gaara grinned holding up his gift.

"Temari," Kankurou pouted. "The smoke on the sleeves is cool, but there are no ears on this hood. Weren't there any shirts with ears on the hoods?"

"Only for the little kids," Temari informed her brother. "I'm sure you can add some."

"Didn't you get yourself anything for a souvenir?" Gaara asked.

A blush spread across the kunoichi's cheeks. "Um yeah, about that…"

**o-o-o**

"Perfect! It's perfect," Ino squealed holding up the purple sweater for Chouji to see. "Isn't it great? It's stretchy, so I can move in it and still look thin! Shikamaru, you're the greatest!"

Chouji, his mouth full of food at the moment, gave a thumbs up to express his pleasure.

"So," Ino leaned forward eager for gossip. "How was it, did you get anything for yourself?"

Shikamaru grinned, "it was definitly worth the trouble."

**o-o-oOWARIo-o-o**


End file.
